Batman and Joker get first treatment in new line of figures from Japan

(BALTIMORE,MD) – (September 26, 2013)- Premiering in the Diamond Comic Distributor’s October PREVIEWS catalog is a new line of exclusive collectible, soft vinyl figures, known in Japan as Sofubi. The first Sofubi items from Medicom Toy and sculpted by Bear Model, feature Batman & the Joker, and can be pre-ordered now at your local comic book specialty shop, with a scheduled release in stores of late February, 2014.

Diamond’s Brand Manager for Import toys, Jesse Morgan, provided some insight into the world of sofubi toys. “The material these “Sofubi” figures are made from is a softer vinyl that is lighter and more pliable than other vinyl. It allows more detail to come through in the design and makes each toy feel unique. Some might say it relates only to non-licensed monster or robot toys made in this style. We’re using it in the fashion that I first heard it; as a catch-all, regardless of license.”

These DC Sofubi collectibles will be available in the US exclusively through PREVIEWS, as Diamond works closely with Japanese manufacturers to take successful American licenses and create them anew in Sofubi vinyl.

“What we’re hoping to do is provide excellent reproductions of classic sofubi at a low price to collectors, as well as gain new fans by working with our Japanese partners to translate great Western licenses into this format,” continued Morgan. “Usually these hard-to-come by figures are very rare due to their artistic quality and hand- crafted designs.”

The DC Heroes Sofubi Batman Figure (Item Code: OCT132096, SRP: $79.99) is aPREVIEWSExclusive item standing at9 ¾ in. tall, and comes with a removable facemask, showing off Bruce Wayne’s identity. The DC Heroes Sofubi Joker Figure(Item Code: OCT132097, SRP: $79.99) is also 9 ¾ in. tall and made from Sofubi, while holding to the iconic look of the Joker through dress and facial features. This hero and villain pair have been upgraded with a new material and paint design, making them more like works of art and a great find for collectors.

Both DC Sofubi Hero figures are featured in the October PREVIEWS catalog on page 457 and can be pre-ordered at your local comic book shop. The figures are scheduled to release in late February, 2014.

To ensure you get these exclusive Sofubi figures, pre-order them at your local comic book specialty shop. Find a local comic shop at www.comicshoplocator.com and start your Sofubi figures collection.

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ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS (DCD)—Diamond is at the nexus of comics and pop culture. Based in Baltimore, MD, DCD is the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books, graphic novels, and related pop-culture merchandise, serving thousands of retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.

Daniel “Julius Marx” Pickett has been around toys his whole life. The first line he ever collected was Mego’s World’s Greatest Super Heroes line back in the 70s. He has been surrounded by collectables ever since.
In 1999 he was confounded by a lack of information and news about some of his favorite toy lines he was collecting. Since he couldn’t find the information he decided to pursue it himself thinking other people might also be interested in the same news. He started writing a weekly column on the toy industry and action figure for a toy news site and in a years time he tripled the sites daily traffic with his updates, reviews and product features.
He built relationships with every major toy manufacturer and many sculptors, painters and mold makers. He grew his hobby into a world wide expertise that the industry has embraced.
In 2004 he teamed up with his toy buddy Jason “ToyOtter” Geyer and they created their own website www.ActionFigureInsider.com.
Daniel has been quoted in both industry and mass media press outlets. Over the years Daniel and AFi have been sought out as experts in the field. Daniel was regularly featured on “Attack of the Show” on the G4 network as the primary contributor to their “Mint On Card” segment, and our front page has been linked to from USA Today’s
“Pop Candy” Blog twice. Daniel’s content has also been featured on MSNBC.com,
Wired.com, Fark.com, Boing-Boing, Gizmodo.com, Ain’t It Cool News, the Official
Star Wars blog, Geekologie, G4, CNet and Toy Fare magazine, among many
others. He has consulted on toy lines, books, documentaries and TV shows.
But all of that really just sounds snooty and “tootin’ his own horn” – the long and short of it is that Daniel loves toys and he LOVES talking about them.